Narrow fabric loom



1968 J. D. SHACKLETON, JR., ETAL 3,403,706

NARROW FABRI C LOOM Filed Sept. 22, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS J D. SHAOKLETON JR CL ENCE R. KROIDFF B% Qi M ATTORNEY 1 J. D. SHACKLETON, JR. ETAL 3,403,706

NARROW FABRIC LOOM FiledSept. 22, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOHN D. SHAGKLETON JR. CLARENCE R. KRONOFF ATTORNEY 1968 J. D. SHACKLETON, JR, ETAL 3,403,706

NARROW FABRIC LOOM Filed Sept. 22, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS JOHN D. SHACKLETON JR. CLARENCE R. KRONOFF ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,403,706 NARROW FABRIC LOOM John Dewey Shackleton, Jr., South Easton, and Clarence R. Kronotf, Worcester, Mass., assignors to Crompton &

Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 581,212 Claims. (Cl. 139-124) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A simple knitted selvage forming device for a narrow loom, which is capable of forming either a catch-cord or a ravel-proof knitted selvage from fabrics, the invention utilizes the up-and-down motion of the reed to guide the catch-cord yarn into the path of the selvage forming needle hook.

The invention relates to improvements in narrow fabric looms of the type which utilizes needles for inserting loops of weft into a warp shed.

The invention relates more particularly to narrow fabric looms equipped with a selvage forming device which is capable of forming a selvage from an auxiliary or catch-cord thread or a ravel-proof selvage from the interknitting of the catch-cord with the loops of weft.

In the past, looms equipped with a catch-cord selvage attachment such as that shown in US. Patent No. 3,064,- 689 to Piazzolla et al. have required rather complex mechanisms to insure that the catch-cord is wrapped about the knitting needle used for forming aselvage therefrom. Other similarly complex mechanisms are disclosed in US. Patent No. 1,296,025 to Waite and US. Patent No. 1,604,- 365 to Mutzberg. Each of the devices shown in these patents require a guide for the catch-cord which must be separately and accurately timed with the operation of the loom and the selvage knitting needle in order to function properly. The instant invention has greatly simplified the catch-cord mechanism and the timing of the catch-cord guiding device is automatically adjusted with the loom speed.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a high speed narrow fabric loom which is equipped to form a selvage on the fabric side remote from the weft needle mounting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a narrow fabric loom which is equipped with a selvage forming device that is capable of forming either a knitted catchcord selvage or a ravel-proo-f selvage on the fabric side remote from the weft needle mounting.

According to the invention the guide for the auxiliary thread or catch-cord is mounted on the lay of the loom and uses the motion of the lay to guide the catch-cord to the selvage forming knitting needle. The strokes of the selvage needle and the weft inserting needle are made adjustable so as to enable the loom to form either a catch-cord selvage or a ravel-proof selvage in a manner to be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent as reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the invention is illustrated, in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a loom embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the path the catch-cord guide follows during the operation of the loom;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the drive for the selvage forming knitting needle and the path it follows;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, showing means for adjusting the stroke of the selvage needle;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view of the weft inserting needle showing means for adjusting its stroke;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--'6 of FIGURE 3, showing the position of the selvage needle relative to the horizontal;

FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the steps in forming a catch-cord selvage; and

FIGURES 11, 12, 13 and 14 illustrate the steps in forming a ravel-proof selvage.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the narrow fabric loom comprises a reed 20 mounted on a lay 22, which is supported for beat-up motion such as the path shown in FIGURE 2 in a manner well known in the art. Extending through the reed are warp yarns 24 which are formed into sheds by the usual harnesses, not shown. Yarns 24 converge at the fell 26 of fabric 28. In order to form the fabric, loops of weft yarn 30 are inserted into the shed formed by yarns 24 by means of a weft inserting needle 32. Needle 32 is supported to move in an arcuate path on a weft needle carrier 34 so as to make this path readily adjustable as shown in FIGURE 5, to be described in detail hereinbelow. Carrier 34 is reciprocated in a manner well known in the art, not shown, to move needle 32 into and out of the warp shed.

To the side of the fabric remote from the weft needle carrier in a plane substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the fabric is a selvage forming needle 36. This may be a pivoted latch knitting needle which has been found satisfactory in practice. On the lay 22 and to the side of reed 2t} remote from the weft needle carrier is mounted a catch-cord or auxiliary yarn guide 38 which is adapted to guide the auxiliary yarn or catch-cord 40 at an angle to the fell of the fabric as seen in FIGURES 1 and 7-14. Needle 36 is supported by a selvage needle carrier 42. Carrier 42 terminates in a yoke 44 which receives one end of a selvage crank linkage 46 which is adjustable in length as shown in FIGURE 3. The other end of the linkage is connected to a selvage crank 48 by means of a pin 49 as seen in FIGURES 3 and 4. Intermediate yoke 44 and needle 36 of the carrier is freely pivoted to and supported by parallel levers 50, 50" at one end of their ends. The other ends of lever 50, 50' are freely pivoted to the frame. As the rotary motion of selvage crank 48 causes linkage 46 to reciprocate, carrier 42 and needle 36 reciprocate in an arcuate path up, over, and downwardly as it approaches the rear of the loom as seen in FIGURE 3. Carrier 42 and needle 36 reverse this arcuate path as they move toward the front of the loom. This path is necessary for the selvage needle to clear the incoming leg of the weft loop and still insure that the catch-cord is caught by the selvage needle. Located between the fell of the fabric and the lay in a position just under needle 36 is a latch opening wire 52. which has a friction sleeve 52' and which insures that the latch is open when the needle 36 is in its advanced position for reception of catch-cord 40.

When lay 22 is in its rearmost position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 2 catch-cord 40 is in its lowermost position. The means for driving the lay in the path shown in FIGURE 2 is old and well-known as shown in US. Patent 3,127,912 issued Apr. 7, 1964 to M. C. Mosher for Beatup Means for Looms, and does not constitute a specific part of the present invention except that it does provide a lay that moves in the path necessary for the present invention. Any mechanism which will drive the lay in this path could be used as well as that shown in the Mosher patent. It is while the lay is in this position that the weft inserting needle enters the shed formed by warp 24 to lay in leg 30' of a loop of weft 30* and selvage needle 36 advances over and across weft leg a 30 and catch-cord 40 as seen in FIGURES 7 and 11. As lay 22 moves to its forwardtmost position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 catchcord 40 is raised to a position higher than the horizontal plane of fabric 28 thereby drawing catch-cord 40 across needle 36 and into its hook as seen in FIGURES 8 and 12. After the catchcord is drawn into the hook of the selvage needle, the needle is moved to its withdrawn position as seen in FIGURES 3 and 10 to draw loops from the catch-cord. FIGURE 14 shows drawing loops from both the weft and the catch-cord.

FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 show the sequence of steps in forming a selvage knit from catch-cord 40 alone, with the stitches being pulled through the weft loops to prevent them from being pulled out of the fabric. This type of selvage, while not ravel-proof, has been found very useful in many narrow fabrics. In this form it is essential that the Weft loops not be caught by the hooks of the selvage needles, therefore the movements of the weft needle and the selvage needle must be so coordinated as to insure that the weft yarn is drawn about the shank of needle 36 below the latch as seen in FIG- URE 8. The relative movements of the Weft needle and the selvage needle are made adjustable as shown in FIG- URES 4 and 5, to be described in greater detail below.

FIGURES 11, 12, 13 and 14 show the sequence of steps in forming a ravel-proof selvage knit from both the catch-cord and the weft loops by drawing the Weft loops about needle 36 above the latch to insure that the weft is caught in its hook. Thus, loops of the weft and loops of the catch-cord are drawn through previously held loops of the weft and the catch-cord.

The selvage forming mechanism can be adjusted to produce either the catch-cord selvage of FIGURES 7 to 10 or the ravel-proof locked selvage of FIGURES 11 to 14 by either of the adjustments shown in FIGURES 4 or 5. In FIGURE 4 the distance the selvage needle advances is determined by the throw of the selvage crank 48. This throw, in turn, is determined by the distance crank pin 49 is located from the center of the crank 48. Thus with the pin 49 in the position shown in FIG- URE 4 and the path of the weft needle unchanged the selvage mechanism would form a catch-cord selvage. If pin 49 is moved to position 54 and the weft needle path unchanged a ravel-proof catch-cord and Weft selvage would be formed.

FIGURE illustrates yet another adjustment which can be made to change the type of selvage formed. Weft needle 32 is adjustably supported on carrier 34 to enable it to occupy either the full line or dotted line position shown in FIGURE 5. With the weft needle in the full line position and the selvage needle drive mechanism in the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, a ravel-proof selvage is formed as shown in FIGURES 11 to 14. If the weft needle is changed to the dotted line position of FIGURE 5 and the selvage needle drive is unaltered, a catch-cord selvage is formed because the weft loop will be laid about the shank of needle 36 below the latch as shown in FIGURES 7 to 10.

Obviously, either or both the path of the weft needle and the selvage needle drive can be adjusted to lay the weft loop either above or below the latch of the selvage needle to produce a ravel-proof or a catch-cord selvage, as desired, remembering to properly adjust the timing of the needles in the usual and Well known manner.

As seen in FIGURE 6 selvage needle 36 is generally turned so that its hook opens below the horizontal and it has been found to function very Well when the hook opens within the 90 quadrant shown by are 56 in FIG- URE 6. While it has been found that the invention forms a satisfactory selvage whenever the hook opens anywhere within a 90 degree quadrant as shown in FIGURE 6, it has been found to function best when the needle hook opens at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal plane of the fabric, either above or below the horizontal plane.

Having thus described the invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific example may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loom having means for forming a shed of warp yarns; weft inserting means for depositing a loop of weft yarn within a shed formed by the warp yarns; and a reed supported by a lay and adapted to beat-up said weft yarn to the fell of fabric previously woven by the loom, the improvement comprising a mechanism for forming a selvage on at least One side of said fabric comprising:

(a) guide means disposed on said lay and adjacent said reed for guiding a selvage yarn to the fell of the fabric;

(b) a selvage needle disposed in a plane which is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the fabric and further disposed in a vertical plane which lies between the generally parallel vertical planes of said fabric edge and said guide means;

(0) means to support and reciprocate said needle along its longitudinal axis; and

(d) means to move said lay and guide in a path towards and away from the fell of said fabric whereby said guide is in a position below said needle when the lay is in its rearmost position and rises to a position above said needle as the lay approaches the fell of the fabric.

2. In a loom as set forth in claim 1 wherein said needle is reciprocated in an arcuate path.

3. In a loom as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lay and guide means move in an elliptical path.

4. In a loom as set forth in claim 1 wherein said needle is a latch needle.

5. In a loom as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for reciprocating the selvage needle is variable for adjusting the loom to form either a ravel-proof selvage or a catch-cord selvage.

6. In a loom as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hook of said needle is directed away from the edge of the fabric.

7. In a loom as set forth in claim 6 wherein the book of the needle opens in a plane which lies in a arc in relation to the horizontal.

8. In a loom as set forth in claim 7 wherein the hook opens in a plane below the horizontal surface of the fabric.

9. In a loom as set forth in claim 7 wherein the needle opens in a plane which is about 45 from the horizontal surface of the fabric.

10. In a loom as set forth in claim 1 wherein the weft inserting means is adjustably mounted to permit the formation of either a ravel-proof selvage or a catch-cord selvage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,604,365 10/1926 Mutzberg 139-124.1 2,758,614 8/1956 Silberman et al. 139-124.1 3,064,689 11/1962 Piazzolla et al. 139124.1 3,102,557 9/1963 Gustavson et al. 139124.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 119,558 10/1918 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

J. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

